Don Adkins, VP of Safety and Training, Davis H. Elliott
Don Adkins with Davis H. Elliott has over 30 years of experience as an entry-level worker, an apprentice, a journeyman lineman, a trainer, a safety professional focusing on powerline workers, and a Kentucky Registered Apprenticeship Council member. He has about 35 safety professionals who work with him throughout the organization, assisting in managing a highly successful registered apprenticeship program. Adkins had the chance to participate in a certified apprenticeship program, which he finished as a journeyman in 2002. As VP of Safety and Training at Davis H. Elliott for 3000 individuals, 600 of whom are registered apprentices, he believes his apprenticeship was important in accomplishing these milestones and objectives in his professional path.

Rebecca M. Barnes, Executive Director, IEC of the Bluegrass, Inc.
Rebecca is currently the Executive Director of IEC of the Bluegrass, an association of Independent Electrical Contractors that also provides Electrical Apprenticeship Training. She is passionate about the value of apprenticeship and removing the stigma of skilled trades as being less valuable than other roles within our society. Since she took the helm, she has increased apprenticeship enrollment, overall membership, and annual profits. She is dedicated to developing the organization and creating new partnerships within her community.  Her previous roles include 15+ years in Association Management, Non-Profit Leadership, Workforce Development, Event Planning, Sales, Athletics, Marketing, and Travel and Hospitality.  Rebecca is a past Board Member of the Rotary Club of Lexington, Bluegrass Tomorrow, Toyota Bluegrass Miracle League, and LexArts as well as a past member of the Junior League of Lexington, founding member of 100 Women, and a graduate of Leadership Lexington. Rebecca is a graduate of Henry Clay High School and the University of Kentucky. She enjoys traveling, volunteering, and spending quality time with her friends and family.

Beth Brinly, Deputy Secretary, Kentucky Education and Labor Cabinet
Louisville native Beth Brinly brings a wide array of government, non-profit, and private-sector experience, and an extensive knowledge of workforce development, economic development and education to the position of deputy secretary of the Kentucky Education and Labor Cabinet. Dep. Brinly is no stranger to Kentucky state government having served in the Education and Workforce Development Cabinet as the deputy secretary from 2014–2015, commissioner of the Department of Workforce Development from 2010–2014, and the Kentucky Workforce Development Cabinet from 1990–1996. She began her state government career in the Governor’s Office where she worked in policy and budget from 1987–1990. Dep. Brinly comes to the cabinet from the American Institutes for Research (AIR) where she was vice president of the Workforce Program Area in the Human Services Division. Prior to that position, she served as the vice president of Workforce Innovation at consulting firm Maher & Maher. On the federal level, she worked at the regional office of the U.S. Department of Labor in Philadelphia as chief of the Division of Workforce Investment in the Employment and Training Administration. Dep. Brinly has also served as an Education Program Specialist in the Philadelphia Regional Office of the U.S. Department of Education. She has extensive experience with federal programs including the Workforce Investment and Opportunities Act, Wagner-Peyser and the Trade Act. Dep. Brinly earned a bachelor’s degree in political science from the University of Louisville in 1986 and a master’s degree in education from Pennsylvania State University in 2004, and she currently lives in Louisville.

Kyla Cofer, Leadership Coach, Kyla Cofer Coaching & Consulting
Kyla Cofer is a leadership coach, podcaster and keynote speaker and bookkeeper. After experiencing burnout, anxiety, depression and low self-worth, she decided something had to change. Pulling together her decades of training in social work, nonprofits and life coaching, she found a way to thrive without dark clouds. She hosts the Leadership School Podcast, sharing the expertise, skills and advice of leaders from around the world. Topics range from conflict resolution to best hiring practices and emotional intelligence. Kyla engages audiences in her dynamic and inspirational style, guaranteeing that you not only remember what you heard, but that you walk away feeling motivated and inspired. She is a Life Purpose Institute certified Life Coach with a BS in Human Services & Psychology from John Brown University and lives with her family in Nashville, TN.

Condrad Daniels, President, HJI Supply Chain Solutions
Condrad M. Daniels is the president of HJI Supply Chain Solutions, a single source provider of outsourced manufacturing, contract warehousing and 3PL supply chain solutions. Condrad currently serves on the executive board of directors for the Kentucky Chamber, GLI and the Leadership Louisville Center.  He is currently the Board Chair for the Kentucky Chamber Foundation and also sits on the Advisory Board of the University of Louisville School of Business and is on the Transportation Industry Council of the 8th District Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis. Condrad played college football and earned a Bachelor of Science in Industrial Engineering from Georgia Tech and an MBA from the University of Louisville.

Beth Davisson, Senior Vice President, Kentucky Chamber Foundation
Beth Davisson is a Senior Vice President with the Kentucky Chamber of Commerce. She leads the Kentucky Chamber Foundation, the philanthropic arm of the Kentucky Chamber of Commerce, the state’s largest association advocating on behalf of business. Beth joined the Chamber in 2017 to begin building the Workforce Center as the Foundation’s only fully dedicated employee.  Since then, the Foundation has grown to a team of fifteen and continues to expand its support to employers and efforts in building a stronger workforce. Beth is a lifelong resident of Kentucky, earning her undergraduate degree from the University of Kentucky and MBA from Sullivan University. She has spent the last 10+ years advocating for the workforce in Kentucky and the nation’s capital and aligning talent to the strategic plans of business. Beth was honored as a “Top 40 under 40” and named a “Top 20 People to Know in Human Resources” by Business First Louisville. She serves on the boards of KYSHRM and Goodwill Industries. Beth was appointed by Governor Andy Beshear to the Executive Committee for the Kentucky Workforce Innovation Board, leading the state’s education attainment and employer engagement efforts, and is a Workforce Fellow for the U.S. Chamber of Commerce.

Michelle DeJohn, Executive Director, Kentucky Career Center
Michelle DeJohn brings more than 20 years’ workforce development experience to her role of Executive Director in the Office for Employer and Apprenticeship Services of the Kentucky Career Center system. Michelle has prior experience as a Human Resources/ Training manager. The Office for Employer and Apprenticeship Services offers businesses services for their workforce needs and assists job seekers. The business services include but are not limited to workforce recruitment assistance, employee assessment, credentialing and remediation, work-based training such as the Department of Labors Registered Apprenticeship Program, labor market information, tax credit incentives, and the Federal Bonding program.

Jeff Graf, Senior Retirement Plan Advisor, ARGI
Jeff Graf has more than 26 years of experience working with qualified retirement plans focusing on plan sponsor consultation, employee education and financial wellness. He regularly conducts seminars and speaking engagements for HR organizations throughout the South and Midwest.   Prior to joining ARGI in 2017, Jeff was the Director of Client Services for a national 401(k) recordkeeper responsible for supporting more than 2400 401(k) plans for companies in the small, mid and large market spaces.  He believes in creating custom retirement plans and participant services that are focused around meeting the specific needs of every employee.  Currently working as a Financial Advisor, Jeff recognizes that everyone’s financial and life situations are unique.  He believes a financial experience must reflect each personal situation and be custom-tailored to meet that person’s specific goals.  This includes managing retirement accounts in the same manner.   Jeff graduated with a BS in Business/Finance from Indiana University and lives in Indiana with his wife (Sylinia) and their two boys (Jace and Ashton).

Robert Greene, PhD, SHRM-SCP, SPHR, GPHR, CCP, CBP, GRP, CEO, Reward Systems, Inc.
Bob has five decades of HR experience, has published four books and over 200 articles, was a principal designer of the SPHR/PHR certification and the CCP/GRP certification. He was the first recipient of the Keystone Award for attaining the highest level of excellence in the field. He consults on strategy and specializes in performance and rewards management systems. He is also a faculty member for DePaul U in their MSHR and MBA programs and a Consulting Principal with Pontifex.

Kim Halbauer, Kentucky Regional President, Fifth Third Bank
Kimberly Halbauer serves as regional president for Fifth Third Bank, N.A. (Kentucky), which covers Kentucky and Southern Indiana and accounts for more than $2.5 billion in assets. Kim is responsible for the growth and strategic alignment in the region of our Business, Commercial, Wealth & Asset Management and Consumer businesses to deliver distinctive value to our customers and community impact. Kim has more than 30 years of experience with Fifth Third, most recently as managing director of Fifth Third Private Bank in Cincinnati. She was responsible for Wealth & Asset Management businesses, including the customer experience for more than 3,000 clients representing $12 billion in assets and more than 100 wealth professionals. She took on her current role in September 2020. Kim began at Fifth Third in 1987 as a customer service representative. After working through college, she rose to leadership in Retail and then Commercial roles, where she worked with government, not-for-profit, small and midsized businesses as well as publicly traded companies. She joined the Private Bank in 2009.

Jeffrey D. Korzenik, Chief Investment Strategist, Fifth Third Bank
Jeff Korzenik is Chief Investment Strategist for one of the nation’s largest banks, where he is responsible for the investment strategy and the allocation of over $40 billion in assets. For more than 30 years, Jeff has been known in the investment management industry for the clarity and originality he brings to complex challenges. A regular guest on CNBC, Fox Business News, and Bloomberg TV, his insights into the economy, markets, manufacturing, and the workforce are frequently cited in the financial and business press. Jeff is the author of the forthcoming book on the business case and best practices for hiring people with criminal records, to be published by HarperCollins Leadership in April 2021.

Jamie Link, Secretary, Kentucky Education and Labor Cabinet
Jamie Link was appointed Secretary of the Kentucky Labor Cabinet effective July 1, 2021. Link has been tapped to lead several successful public-sector initiatives throughout his career. Most recently, in January 2020 Gov. Andy Beshear asked him to serve as executive director of the Kentucky Communications Network Authority – the agency responsible for overseeing the completion of the KentuckyWired broadband expansion project. The project is slated for completion in October. Link has previously served as deputy secretary of both the Kentucky Finance & Administration and Tourism, Arts and Heritage cabinets. He was appointed to serve as CEO of the Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games in 2010 before becoming executive director of the Kentucky Horse Park. Additionally, he has served as deputy chief of staff for former Kentucky Gov. Steven L. Beshear, commissioner of the Kentucky Department for Facilities Management, and has worked as a finance director and as a project coordinator at the University of Kentucky.

Amy Lutrell, President &  CEO, Goodwill Industries of Kentucky, Inc
Amy Luttrell is President & CEO of Goodwill Industries of Kentucky, a $110M social enterprise which serves 103 of Kentucky’s 120 counties.  Prior to moving to Kentucky in 2014, she served three other Goodwills over a 35-year span.  As CEO, Amy leads over 2,000 employees in operating Goodwill’s 67 retail stores and other business lines, and providing direct services to assist people in finding pathways out of poverty.  Goodwill operates resource centers in nine Kentucky communities with services to address the barriers that keep people out of the workforce and in poverty.  Amy is a recipient of the Goodwill Industries J.D. Robins Distinguished Career Award and the Kenneth King Outstanding Management Award for Executive Excellence.

Polly Marquette, Implementation Consultant, Win Learning
Polly Marquette is an Implementation Consultant for WIN Learning, she focuses on supporting communities, schools, agencies and organizations as they implement courses, credentials and processes that help students and learners of all ages prepare for the world of work. Polly previously traveled across Kentucky for the Partnership for Successful Schools – working alongside communities as they sought to identify gaps, gather resources, convene partners and implement solutions related to college, career and life readiness initiatives.

Whitney Martin, Measurements Experts, ProActive Consultants
As a measurement strategist, Whitney’s passion and expertise lies in the field of surveys and assessments. A self-professed “data nerd,” Whitney has a Master’s degree in the area of Human Resources Measurement and Evaluation and has conducted extensive research on the predictive validity of various hiring assessment strategies.   Whitney has been a highly rated speaker at several National HR Conferences and has authored articles on assessments for several books and publications, including Harvard Business Review. She is a member of the Society for Industrial & Organizational Psychology (SIOP) and has two decades of experience working in the assessment industry.

Laurie Mays, Agriculture and Equine Talent Pipeline Manager, Kentucky Chamber Foundation
Laurie Mays joined the Chamber as the Agriculture and Equine Talent Pipeline Project Manager in September of 2018 and works cooperatively with the equine and agriculture industries to bridge the skilled workforce gap in those industries in Kentucky. Before her time there, she held the roles of Operations Manager and Director of Youth and Community Education at the Kentucky Horse Park, where she was instrumental in developing and implementing countless programs. Most recently, Mays developed a nationally recognized equine program in conjunction with the United States Pony Clubs at Locust Trace AgriScience Center, a world-renowned agricultural high school. By understanding the industry through these endeavors, Mays is now working statewide with employers, educators, and other agriculture stakeholders to develop a talent pipeline that will ensure a consistent, skilled labor pool moving forward. Growing up in the local saddle clubs, Mays converted to eventing in high school, had a short stint with western riding in Texas, and now enjoys working cattle on her family farm. She earned a B.S. in Animal Science from Clemson University, an M.S. in Agriculture from West Texas A&M, and an M.A. in Teaching from Eastern Kentucky University. She and her husband reside on a beef cattle and sheep farm in Bourbon Co, KY, with their children.

Lakisha Miller, Executive Director, Kentucky Chamber Workforce Center
LaKisha Miller is the Executive Director of the Kentucky Chamber Workforce Center.  For nearly five years, the Kentucky Chamber Foundation's Workforce Center has represented over 68,000 businesses, convening employers to understand their hiring needs and providing programs to educate Kentuckians and prepare them for meaningful employment.  LaKisha has spent the last four years advocating for the workforce in Kentucky by aligning talent to the needs of businesses across the state.  LaKisha serves on several Kentucky Workforce Innovation Board committees and statewide workforce development committees.   The U.S. Chamber of Commerce Foundation has recognized her nationally as a leading workforce professional to guide the national movement towards employer-led workforce systems.  LaKisha currently serves as the chair of the Jobs and Workforce Data (JWD) Network and on the T3 Leadership Committee committed to improving the development, sharing, and utilization of high-quality workforce data.

Amy Neal, Executive Director, Kentucky Governor's Office of Early Childhood
In partnership with the Division of Child Care, The Kentucky Governor's Office of Early Childhood secured $2m to elevate the early childhood profession to allow childcare workers to learn and earn while working. The apprenticeship program is part of the team's strategic objective to enhance and extend the early childhood workforce by providing creative career paths, minimizing turnover, and expanding and recognizing this crucial profession. Their apprenticeship portfolio will enhance the profession, provide a career ladder, and provide flexible, affordable education and training. Kentucky's early childhood administrator director apprenticeship will boost employment skills. The apprenticeship is a 4,000-hour on-the-job training program with 288 hours of technical training that leads to a national certificate.

Danny Nelms, CEO and President, The Work Institute
As President at Work Institute, co-author of The Why Factor and EmployER Engagement, and experienced public speaker, Danny Nelms is an agent of change and an expert in helping companies forge new directions to optimize human capital and improve results.  Nelms’ 25 years of experience have given him the ability to influence corporate culture and human capital initiatives in areas including organizational improvement & effectiveness, leadership development, employee engagement & retention, executive coaching, and M&A.  His track record in successfully managing teams in both HR and corporate services, and aligning organizational strategies to achieve business objectives, have made him a popular guest speaker. His insight into human capital dynamics of an organization based on sound data-driven research uniquely positions Nelms to provide valuable recommendations for the challenges that organizations face and allows him to provide companies with the tools needed to successfully achieve the desired employee outcomes and business results.

Steven Rudolf, JD, SPHR, SHRM-SCP, System Vice President, Baptist Health
Steven G. Rudolf is system Vice President, Human Resources overseeing Strategic Initiatives, Total Rewards & Workforce Intelligence.  As such, he is responsible for providing strategic oversight for various HR initiatives (including mergers & acquisitions), overseeing Baptist Health’s employee health, compensation, benefit & wellness programs, and expanding Baptist Health’s HR analytic capabilities (including development of its affirmative action plans and predictive HRIS modeling). He previously served as Vice President, HR Operations (2015-2019), providing system-wide human resource leadership for Baptist Health’s acute care facilities and support services.  Rudolf previously served as vice president of Human Resources for the Kentuckiana Region (2010-2015), which included Baptist Medical Associates, Baptist Health Louisville and Baptist Health La Grange. Prior to joining Baptist in 2010, Rudolf served as executive director, human resources, for Operations and Product Development for Hill-Rom Company, a subsidiary of Hillenbrand Industries, and a leading manufacturer and provider of medical technologies and related services for the healthcare industry. Before joining the HR team, he served as senior labor and employment counsel for Hillenbrand and its subsidiaries. Rudolf was in private law practice for 11 years, focusing on labor and employment law, as a partner with Bose McKinney & Evans LLP in Indianapolis and an associate with Vedder Price Kaufman & Kammholz in Chicago. He earned a law degree from Boston University School of Law and a bachelor’s degree from Indiana University. Rudolf current serves on the board for various organizations including the Health Careers Collaborative of Greater Louisville, the Kentucky Chamber of Commerce Workforce Center Board, and the Kentucky Individual Self-Insured Guaranty Fund Board. He has served as a previous board member for Kentuckiana Works and the Kentucky Hospital Association Consortium for Healthcare Professionals. He is a graduate of Leadership Louisville, Class of 2017. He has completed the Advance Human Resources Executive Program at the University of Michigan’s Ross School of Business; Strategic HR Decision-making at the Wharton School of Business; and the Foundations of Leadership program from the Center for Creative Leadership. He is certified as a senior professional in human resources by the Human Resources Certification Institute and as a senior certified professional by the Society for Human Resource Management.

Scott Secamiglino, MPH, Visual Analytics and Strategy Director, Kentucky Center for Statistics
Scott Secamiglio has been with KYSTATS since 2014. Mr. Secamiglio's primary tasks include data visualization across the education and workforce pipeline, strategy and outreach, and helping bring an equity priority to data. Mr. Secamiglio completed the Harvard Strategic Data Project Fellowship program aimed at developing data strategists for education. Mr. Secamiglio holds a bachelor of science in psychology from James Madison University and a master of public health (biostatistics concentration) from the University of Kentucky.

Naomi Sutton, Apprenticeship Workforce Consultant, Education and Workforce Development Cabinet
Naomi Sutton is a Apprenticeship Workforce Consultant in the Office of Employer & Apprenticeship Services, with the Kentucky Career Center.  She has an Associate of Criminal Justice from Harper College and a Bachelor of Arts with a Business emphasis from Brescia University.  Naomi has over 23 years of work experience in Human Resources, working in the Hospitality, Education, Recruiting (Head Hunting), and Manufacturing industries.   While they are all very different industries, they all allowed her the privilege of working with people and helping them.  When not working or spending time with family and friends, she typically visits different cities in Kentucky or volunteering in community events such as the Owensboro Daviess County Christmas Parade, International Bar-B-Q Festival, March of Dimes and more.

Shelly Trent, SPHR, SHRM-SCP, Career Coach, Your Career Coach Collaborator, LLC
Shelly Trent, SPHR, SHRM-SCP, CAE, JCTC, JCDC, CDF is an HR and career development professional who has spent her life guiding others toward lifelong learning, career growth, and personal enrichment.  Shelly worked for the Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM) for over 16 years.  Shelly’s background includes association management, human resources, college career services, corporate employee career development, and business and industry training.    Shelly is certified as a Senior Professional in Human Resources (SPHR) by the HR Certification Institute, as a SHRM-Senior Certified Professional, and also obtained her master’s degree in public administration with an emphasis in HR.  She completed her Ph.D. coursework at the University of Louisville in human resources development and career counseling.  She also holds the Certified Association Executive (CAE) certification.  Through the Career Development Network, she earned two career coaching certifications, Job and Career Transition Coach and Job and Career Development Coach. In 2022, she earned the CDF (Career Development Facilitator) credential from the National Career Development Association.  She loves to teach and train, and was an adjunct faculty member in the School of Business at Indiana University’s Southeast campus, where she taught business students about career planning, professional behaviors, and job search for over ten years.  Shelly has been interviewed for and quoted in publications such as Essence Magazine, Workforce Magazine, Pittsburgh Business Times, and Kansas City Business Journal, and is a frequent writer and contributor on various HR and career management topics for books, magazines, and other HR and association publications.  She is a contributing author to the anthologies Humans@Work and Compassion@Work.   Shelly is married to her high-school sweetheart, has a dog and two cats, collects Beatles memorabilia, is a seasoned cookie baker, and is a volunteer storm spotter.

Jason Tyszko, Vice President, Center for Education and Workforce, U.S. Chamber of Commerce
Jason A. Tyszko is a vice president at the U.S. Chamber of Commerce Foundation where he advances policies and programs that enhance the career readiness of youth and adult learners and strengthen economic competitiveness. Jason oversees the Chamber Foundation’s workforce development portfolio, including the Talent Pipeline Management (TPM) initiative as well as JEDx, the T3 Innovation Network, JobSIDE, EPIC, Talent Finance, and economic security initiatives. Jason’s prior experience focused on coordinating interagency education, workforce, and economic development initiatives. In 2009, he served as a policy adviser to Illinois Gov. Pat Quinn’s administration.  In addition, Tyszko was deputy chief of staff and senior policy adviser to the Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity. Tyszko received his Master of Arts from the University of Chicago and his Bachelor of Arts from DePaul University.

Ashli Watts, President and CEO, Kentucky Chamber of Commerce
Ashli Watts was named the President and CEO for the Kentucky Chamber, the state’s largest business association, in November 2019. Ashli joined the Kentucky Chamber of Commerce in November of 2012, and during her tenure as Senior Vice President of Public Affairs at the Chamber, she has led efforts in passing significant pieces of legislation such as felony expungement in 2016, right to work legislation in 2017, workers’ compensation reform in 2018 and reinstating arbitration agreements in 2019. As part of the Chamber’s leadership team, the Kentucky Chamber was named National State Chamber of the Year in 2017. Prior to joining the Chamber, she worked at the Kentucky Bar Association and the Legislative Research Commission.

Kimberly Wickert, CRCC, Director of Organizational Partnerships, RETAIN Kentucky/ HDI
Kimberly Wickert is a certified rehabilitation counselor who has been helping individuals, employers and organizations in the remain and return to work process for over 20 years.  She promotes collaboration to identify opportunities and overcome obstacles for all parties involved in the process to support successful solutions.